GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES SALARIES

An analysis of municipal workers salaries was reported in The Journal News on August 7, 2014 by Elizabeth Ganga. The conclusion of the analysis was that Westchester County employees are the highest paid County employees in the State in both the police positions and general government jobs. Among Town employees, Ramapo in Rockland County claims the top spot for employees’ salaries. A report was made by the Empire Center for Public Policy on County and Municipal payrolls in New York. The report compares the different governments by category and within regions allowing taxpayers to see low average salaries in their area stock up against their neighbors. This report was published after the Journal News published a series of articles based on Freedom of Information request from Putnam, Rockland and Westchester Counties.

The average pay figures include overtime and payroll for unused sick and vacation time. In Westchester, general employees made an average of $76,652 and police made a whopping $184,865. Putnam & Rockland Counties were also in the top five for average general county salaries at $65,445 and $61,698 respectively. The Town of Ramapo employees made an average of $72,264. while Town Police made $164,847.. The Town of Ramapo was followed in the list of highest average pay statewide, followed by Clarkstown and Orangetown who also made the top five towns statewide for both police and general employees. Mount Kisco had the fifth highest police salaries of $138,927. The Town of Ramapo was listed by the State Comptroller’s Office last year as one of the most fiscally stressed government in New York State.

The report also compared City average salaries. The top five cities average salaries for clerical employees were in Westchester; Yonkers, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Rye and White Plains. Yonkers, Rye and Peekskill were in the top five cities for Police salaries.

The report show a correlation between high general and police salaries and stressed government finances. The effect of these higher salaries also takes a toll on those governmental pension payments.

Westchester County Business Journal on August 4, 2014, reported on the annual “what they make report of July 23, 2014” for Westchester County employees in any County in New York State outside of New York City. Westchester County has 269 police and fire jobs which pay an average of $184,864., well above Nassau County which ranked second with an average of $157,632. Government employees in Westchester received an average salary of $76,652 which is nearly $10,000 more per employee than Suffolk County, which is the second highest County. Average salaries in Yonkers, New Rochelle, Peekskill, Rye and White Plains made up the top five cities with salary averages ranging from $61,129 – $70,319. Police and fire employees in Yonkers, Rye and Peekskill made an average of $116,959; $116,917 and $112,154 which were third, fourth and fifth in the State. Ramapo led towns in both government police and fire salaries, $72,264 and $164,847 on average. Harrison and Cortlandt made the top five in most expensive government salaries for towns with Harrison ranking third with a $66,403 average and Cortlandt ranking fifth with $61,970 on average.

It is no wonder Westchester County is the highest taxed County in the Country